A Classic First-Time Trip to New Zealand

Unlike Yellowstone, eggy-smelling Rotorua isn't officially protected (although there are only three or four places like it in the world) but is carved into private attractions. The most colorful is, at US$7, also the cheapest: Wai-o-tapu's (17 miles south on Highway 5, 07/366-6333, geyserland.co.nz) easy path loops past burbling pools of puke-green arsenic, belching, boiling mud, and primrose sulphur aplenty. At 10:15 a.m. daily, the Lady Knox Geyser promptly erupts, induced by a dose of biodegradable detergent.

Equally endearing are the silly (and so Kiwi) "farm shows," where milking and fleecing amuse children and coachloads of Japanese tourists. Farming's a big deal in Godzone: Sheep outnumber humans by nearly 12 to 1. Rainbow Springs' five daily shows are US$8.50, including admission to its zoo-where you can finally spot a real kiwi (Fairy Springs Rd., 07/347-9301). True bird-watchers should visit predator-free Mokoia Island, a mile into Lake Rotorua (07/348-7766; US$12, including US$7 island-entry fee, on the ScatCat ferry at the lakefront).

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Rotorua has been a family vacationland since Victorian times, so there are scads of budget motels, most made of concrete to combat Mother Nature's eternal flatulence, and almost all with ground-fed hot springs on tap in each room. Outside of Christmastime, doubles are US$25-US$30 at most motels on Fenton Street, which leads south from the lake. One is as good as another, but Heritage Motor Inn (349 Fenton St., 07/347-7686) has notable-value one-bedroom suites, sleeping up to six, with private patio and pool for around US$55. Hot Rock Backpackers (1286 Arawa St., 07/348-8636, acb.co.nz/hot-rock; US$7.75 dorm, US$11 per person double) is the funky social option, right in town, and has several mineral pools.

Eating

Fat Dog (1161 Arawa St., 07/347-7586) is a scruffy joint made for woofing huge helpings of Moroccan beef salad or blue cheese fettuccine, US$3-US$5 with greens. Triple 1 Five (1115 Tutanekai, 07/347-1115) offers meatless options like ratatouille pasta, spinach crepes with mushroom, and veggie-and-cream-cheese phyllo logs, all US$6 feeding two.

The South Island

What powerful beauty grows here! Razor-backed mountains, placid alpine lakes-what's a visitor to do? Challenge it, of course. After all, the Southern Alps, which line the western half of the South Island (where only a quarter of New Zealanders live), is where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for Everest. Queenstown, snugly hammocked between mountains and Lake Wakatipu, is the seat of extreme sports in a country world famous for guts and glory. Cheap thrills come in every variety, from rafting in summer to skiing in winter. Commercial bungee jumps were originated here (nearly a million safe jumps ago) by A.J. Hackett, whose 440-foot plunge is one of the world's highest (US$74).

Because I'm a fool, I took the nine-second free fall (easier 150-foot jumps cost US$58; 03/442-4007, ajhackett. com). On the same day, I also braved death-defying river jet boats, white-water rafts, a 'copter ride, and a mountain luge. Packages combine them (03/442-7318, combos.co.nz; from US$64 adult/US$42 child). Rushes don't come cheaper (or as safely) anywhere else in the world. Even tandem sky dives and paraglides cost half as much (about US$70-US$80) as back home, and the scenery is twice as lush. Companies vie for buzz junkies at the corner of Shotover and Camp streets; transportation is provided.

Many Kiwis think Queenstown's adrenaline fixation isn't typical of the "real" New Zealand. They may have a point, and if you try to do it all, you'll break both body and budget. Happily, with so much wilderness, you needn't spend a cent.

Kiwis love to share their land, so there will be few restrictions on your movements. Countless hikes, multiday "tramps," clear rivers for fly-fishing, and uncluttered swaths of public land mean anyone can improvise a cleansing, back-to-nature vacation with no more than a picnic lunch.

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